Aisha Huang ‘magically’ produces medical report in court

One of the accused persons in the case in which Aisha Huang and some four other Chinese nationals are standing trial for engaging in illegal mining has defied the court order asking him to file his medical report to the registrar.

The order followed his absence from court on Monday, February 19 compelling the judge to adjourn the case.

Aisha Huang told the court Lu qi Ju was taken ill on Saturday, February 17 and subsequently sent to the hospital for medical attention.

The judge, Justice Charles Ekow Baiden, ordered the accused person to file medical reports from an accredited government hospital to prove he was indeed ill before February 26.

However, in court on Monday, though all five accused persons were present, the judge noted that there was no record showing the submission of the report.

The defense counsel, Nkrabeah Effah Darteh, told the court the hospital the accused person received medical attention was a Chinese hospital and not a government facility. That is why they could not file, he said, adding he did not want to manufacture one.

The judge further enquired if he meant the hospital was not recognized by government but lawyer Effah Darteh said he could not say so.

The judge, therefore, insisted on recording that Lu Qi Ju defied the court order and did not file the medical report but asked the interpreter to tell the accused persons he wants the court to put that information on record.

Aisha Huang, however, brought out a medical report contrary to the claims of the defense counsel.

The court, however, received the report and commenced cross examination.

The prosecution witness Superintendent Ruben Aborabora of the Ghana Immigration Service was cross-examined by the defense counsel.

He told the court they acted upon a tip-off.

When asked if he saw any of the accused persons there, he answered in the negative, adding that one of his men saw the 4th accused person Zhang Zhipeng operating one of the excavators.

The case was adjourned to Wednesday, March 14.

Aisha Huang and her compatriots were arraigned on May 9, 2017 for engaging in illegal small-scale mining activities at Bepotenten in the Amansie Central District of the Ashanti Region contrary to Section 99(1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), providing mining support services without valid registration.